Ahrar al-Najran

Ahrar al-Najran is a political movement in southern Saudi Arabia that seeks to gain independence for the Najran region, which was conquered from Yemen in 1933.

History
Ahrar al-Najran was led by Abu Bakr Abi Ahmed al-Salami, and it was formed in response to the treatment of southern Saudi Arabian civilians as second-class, the massacre of defenseless Yemenis, and dissatisfaction with the House of Saud in Riyadh. In June 2015, they took over the al-Masha'liya military base from the Royal Saudi Army and used an air defense system to shoot down a Saudi chopper. The group was one of the major opposition groups that fought against Saudi Arabia, and they had some minor clashes in the Khabash region 10 kilometers south of Najran City. Ahrar al-Najran's role was minor, but their opposition to the government was significant due to its support of the dangerous Houthis of Yemen.